Max's Given Alias
by messymissy
Summary: Relocated to Seattle, Jondy was at long last reunited with Max. To keep from being separated by the overcautious Zack, Jondy gave Max an alias to go by when he unexpectedly showed up. Deceit and angst ensue as chaos breaks out among the group of X5s.
1. The Meeting

Title: Max's Given Alias 

By: messymissy

Summary: What if Max and Jondy ran into each other, and Zack never found Max after the escape? To keep from being separated by Zack's paranoia, Jondy gave Max a new name to go by when they accidentally run into him, so he won't know who she is.

Rated: PG-13

Pairing: M/Z

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and am just using them. I only came up with the ideas for this story and the rest belong to the owner or creator of Dark Angel and Fox.

A/N: This is set before season one, but Original Cindy knows Max's secret. This is also kind of an A/U fic.

A/N 2: THIS STORY IS CURRENTLY BEING EDITED. I STARTED THIS YEARS AGO AND THOUGHT THAT IT'S ABOUT TIME THAT I DO SOMETHING WITH THIS. April 2005

* * *

LOS ANGELES 

"After them!" shouted an aged, harsh-looking man. "Don't let them get away!

Two lithe figures in black saw the cars driving towards them.

"Damn it! Lydecker found us!" said a man with light colored hair and blue eyes.

"Shit!" cried a woman with long, light-brown hair.

"Come on, we have to get out of here!"

They started to run into a nearby alley. They heard the military jeeps start to come after them. There were no less than a dozen. The colonel's men started to open fire on them.

"What are we suppose to do Zack?" cried the woman.

"What do you think Jondy? We just can't just stay here and let them catch us. We have to lose them!" he replied.

Lydecker's men were hot on their trail. They sped up and ran in between buildings, alleys, and streets in zigzags.

"Speed up! We need to get them back in sight! We're losing them!" Lydecker hollered. "Spread out and surround them. We'll never get them by just following them around!"

The cars all raced in different directions in pursuit of the two X-5's.

Jondy and Zack were still weaving through the alleyways.

"They're catching up to us!" Jondy exclaimed.

"I know!"

They kept running. Manticore was gaining on them. Jondy and Zack scanned for an escape route.

Suddenly, Jondy caught sight of a half-opened manhole and said, "Look over there Zack! There's a manhole. I think we can hide in there until they're gone."

They both rushed to the manhole, jumped in, secured the lid, and stayed deadly quiet.

Their retreat into the sewers was made just in time, because just as they got into their hiding place, Zack and Jondy heard loud screeches from up above. Lydecker and his men were directly over them. It was imperative for them to remain silent, for the slightest sound could alert their pursuers to their location.

"Where are they?" Lydecker demanded.

"I think we lost them, sir," answered one of his soldiers, meekly. "We all covered all of the locations, and it led us all here. They're nowhere to be seen."

Lydecker saw red when he received this bit of information. He fumed at his incompetent soldiers.

"I can't believe you lost them! We were so close! This is not what I wanted to hear soldier! You were all hired under the impression that you were all highly trained individuals! But instead, what are you? Top-notched toy soldiers?" Lydecker let out a frustrated sigh. He then demanded, "I want every single centimeter within a 25-mile radius to be searched with a fine-tooth comb. I want those X-5's found! Now move out!"

All of the soldiers left, and all was quiet. Zack and Jondy got out of the manhole.

"Wow, that was close," Jondy sighed in relief.

"Yes, it was. I told you that Lydecker was going to have this place swarmed after the stunt you pulled. What I don't get is why you didn't leave L.A. when I told you to. You were caught on tape jumping over a 15-foot gate, for crying out loud! How could you be so careless? Are you trying to get caught?"

"I'm sorry, okay? It's not my fault that the owner of the jewelry company was paranoid and installed an extra camera just before my heist. Besides, it's no big deal. We got away from Old Deck didn't we?" Jondy smiled innocently.

"Yeah, you got lucky," Zack grumbled. "If I arrived a minute later..."

"I am really sorry, Zack," Jondy said solemnly with her eyes downcast. "Thanks for saving me Big Brother. I'll be more careful next time."

"You better be," he replied. Zack relaxed and put an arm around his little sister's shoulders before saying, "Now, lets get you someplace safe. There's no way you're staying in Los Angeles."

"But..."

"No buts. We're leaving now or Lydecker will find you."

"Fine," Jondy sighed. "I really don't like Los Angeles that much anyway. Where are you taking me?"

"How about Seattle?"

"It's worth a shot. Why not go to Seattle? I haven't been there yet. Maybe I'll like it there."

"Good. Come on, let's go."

* * *

SEATTLE 

Two days later, Zack and Jondy arrived in Seattle. After a quick search, they found a decent apartment, and Jondy was soon settled into her new home. It wasn't spectacular, but it had three bedrooms, running water, and electricity.

It was early morning day and when the two X-5's settled down for breakfast, Jondy asked, "How are the others?"

"They're fine."

"Did you find Max yet?" Jondy asked eagerly.

"No. The lead that Manticore received about a dark-haired, dark-eyed woman turned out to be Tinga. She got away just in time, though. Max, Zane, Ash, and Seth are the only ones that I haven't found, as you already know. They were always the best at Escape and Evade back at Manticore."

"Yeah. I'm glad that they can hide so well, but I miss them. I just want them to be safe. Especially Maxie."

"I know," Zack said as he looked at his watch. "I think it's time for me to go." He stood up and took out a wad of cash and handed it to Jondy. "Here's some money to start out with. You know what to do if you need any help or anything. The number's still the same."

"Thank you, Zack," she said as she hugged him.

"Take care of yourself," he answered just before proceeding through the door and out of sight.

"I hope you'll find them someday," Jondy whispered to the closed door. Her words were spoken so softly that she barely heard herself utter them. "Good ol' big brother, he always pulls through for us," she said with a sad sigh. "I guess I should start job hunting."

She headed toward her bedroom and prepared for the first day of her new life.

* * *

THE STREETS OF SEATTLE 

It was a gray and foggy morning. A young woman with long, dark-brown hair and dark eyes was riding to work, as usual, with her best friend Original Cindy.

"Wonder where Normal's going to send us off to today," said Original Cindy.

"Knowing him, he'll probably send us to the worst part of town with a bunch of packages to keep us busy," Max said dryly.

"Yeah."

True to their prediction, Normal sent them out on deliveries to sector 13 with a sack full of boxes and letters.

"Ain't he so predictable?" said O.C. "I just wish he wasn't, so we wouldn't have to go all the way to that heinous sector."

"Yeah, but I'm surprised he didn't go "Bip! Bip! Bip!" today when we came in," laughed Max.

They made the deliveries as quickly as possible and left the sector. They took their time in getting back to Jam Pony.

"I'm glad we're through with that," said Max as they wheeled their bikes through the door.

"Me too," O.C. concurred.

"Are you going to Crash tonight?" asked Max.

"What do you think? Is there anything better to do?"

"No, just making sure you're going. Who knows, maybe you found a new Lickety-Boo sometime between last night and today," Max said with an impish grin.

"Boo, you'd know if O.C. found herself a Lickety-Boo. I'm free tonight."

"I wonder where's Sketchy. Think he'll want to come with us?" Max inquired as she looked around the bustling room.

"Hell yeah. You know how much that guy loves to get drunk, fall off his bike, and lose his money," laughed O.C.

Max and Original Cindy were so caught up in their conversation that they ran into someone.

"Sorry," they all cried out in unison.

Max and the stranger looked at one another. Something tugged at the back of Max's mind as she studied the tall, slim woman in front of her. There was something about this woman that tugged at her memory. She looked oddly familiar.

The stranger's eyes were opened wide, and she seemed to be frozen in her place. She looked just as perplexed as Max.

Suddenly, a look of recognition crossed Max's face.

"It can't be," Max gasped.

"Boo, you okay? You look a little dazed," O.C. stated. A hint of worry was present in her voice as she looked at her friend.

Max hesitantly stepped toward the stranger with hope-filled eyes.

"Jondy?"

The stranger blinked and seemed to come back to her senses. A joyous smile then broke across her face as she exclaimed, "Max!"

* * *


	2. The Plan

Title: Max's Given Alias 

By: messymissy

(For other information, go to part 1.)

* * *

"Max! It's really you!" Jondy cried as she closed the gap between Max and herself while pulling Max into a hug. "I thought I was hallucinating. I've missed you so much, Maxie." 

"I've missed you too, Jondy. I can't believe you're here." Max said as she pulled away from the warm embrace with a grin on her face. She still couldn't believe that after a decade of searching and a decade of separation that she was now reunited with one of her long-lost siblings. It was also a plus that the sibling just so happened to be Jondy. Out of all of her siblings, Max missed Jondy the most. Back in Manticore, they had been the most compatible pair and the best of friends. Max felt like she was floating on a cloud. She was amazed with her good fortune and was overcome with delight.

"So, how have you been, Maxie?" Jondy asked as she took a good look at her sister. She had been waiting for this moment ever since she lost sight of Max under the thick layers of ice in the biting chill of the Wyoming winter. Finally, she was reunited with her beloved sister.

"I've been doing all right. I manage things well enough. As you can see, I haven't been caught yet!" Max replied playfully. "How have you been?"

"Fine..."

Before she could say anything more, Original Cindy interrupted, "Well, you two seem awfully friendly. You two know each other?"

"Yes, she's my sister," said Max.

"Does that mean...?"

"Yes, she's from my past O.C. She's like me."

"Oh."

Jondy was looking back and forth between the two friends. A feeling of unease flitted through her as she realized that the ordinary knew about their dark past. A look of suspicion came across her face as she eyed Original Cindy. "You know about us don't you?" Jondy interrogated the darker woman. Her tone was filled with distrust and a lethal air. "How did you find out?" she continued. "Who are you? You better not be working for an unnamed military base, or you'll find yourself in a lot of trouble with me and mine."

"Jondy, it's okay. She's not Manticore. She's my friend. I had to tell her when I saved her from a gang of brutal mobsters a couple of months ago. Don't worry, our secret's safe with her," Max told Jondy. "Oh, by the way, Jondy, this is Original Cindy. Cindy, this is my sister Jondy."

"Nice to meet you Original Cindy," Jondy said as she shook O.C.'s hand. She still felt uncomfortable about the fact that someone outside of her unit knew about Manticore, but she trusted Max's judgement. Max wouldn't wittingly endanger her family by exposing them to the enemy. After a pause, she added, "You better keep our secret though, because you'll regret it if you don't."

"Don't worry. Like Max said, your secret is safe with me. Besides, Max is my friend I wouldn't turn her, or anyone that she cares about, in to those crazy scientists to be tortured. You have my word on that," Original Cindy promised.

"Good," Jondy said with a smile. "I think I'm starting to like you already."

"Thanks, I think."

"You three over there, get to work! You're not getting paid for just standing there and talking! Get a move on! Bip! Bip! Bip!" yelled the peculiar and bespectacled dispatcher by the counter.

"That's Normal for you," Max said with a roll of her eyes. "He always picks the wrong time to tell us to get to work. Ruins everything."

"Cindy! You're heading over to sector 12. Missy Miss, you're going to sector seven with the new girl. She's standing right next to you. Show her the ropes," Normal shouted as he threw them all their packages.

No one made a move to go. "Well don't just stand there," Normal stated arrogantly, "get to work already!"

"Okay, okay, we're going!" Max answered in exasperation, and they headed out of Jam Pony.

"So, I better get going. See you both at Crash?" asked O.C. as she rode off to sector 12.

"Yeah," answered Max as she and Jondy turned toward sector seven.

Jondy had been issued a bike moments before running into Max, and now they rode alongside one another contentedly. Who thought that the two sisters would end up working side by side as bike messengers?

On the way to their first delivery, the two female X-5's wove through traffic and challenged each other in little mini-races, carefully maintaining a relatively "normal" speed.

Max and Jondy felt as if they were children again. The loneliness of the past decade and the time lost between the two good friends melted away at that moment, and the bond between Max and Jondy was renewed and strengthened.

The two chased each other through the streets. They were filled with merriment and laughter. By the time the reached sector seven, their cheeks were bright and rosy. They pulled up beside a building, and Max began to inform Jondy of Jam Pony's delivery procedure.

"Okay, here's the map of Seattle. I don't think it'll take you long to memorize it," she said knowingly. "Basically, all you do is get the packages to the customers and get their signatures. No signatures equals no pay, so make sure you get them. The job doesn't pay much, but it's a job. Besides, you can't tell me that you took this job just because of the money."

Jondy smirked. "You're right there. I have other plans for this job, you know, get a scope of things for a certain little hobby of mine."

"Ah... A hobby, huh? It sounds familiar. Would you mind if I partake in your hobby with you as well? I have plenty of experience," Max inquired laughingly.

"Well, I _am_ looking for a partner. Of course, you have to fill out an application. Otherwise, how do I know if you're any good?" came the joking response.

"An application?" Max questioned with a raised eyebrow. "Don't you think you're going a bit too far with that, Jondy?

"No, I'm very serious," she said with a solemn countenance, but her twinkling eyes gave her away. She grinned and said, "The application is done verbally, and as far as I can see, you seem to be well qualified. So, do you want to be partners in crime, Sis?"

"Hmm... Let me think... I usually work solo, but since you asked, I think I can make an exception," Max returned. She was enjoying their little banter. She hadn't felt this lighthearted in a long time. It was a nice change.

"Hey!" Jondy cried out. "You were the one that asked!"

The two women looked at each other and fell into a fit of laughter.

Jondy wiped a tear from her eye. She hadn't had this much fun in years. Being constantly relocated didn't leave her much time for socializing. When she did socialize, Jondy refrained from getting too close to the people around her, for she knew that she would eventually have to leave them.

It was nice to have someone to talk to and joke around with. She missed the bond between her siblings. Zack kept them all separated to protect them from capture, so before finding Max, Zack was the only sibling that she was in contact with. In the past, Jondy tried many a time to follow Zack to find her other siblings, but her efforts always ended futilely. Zack always seemed to know when she was following him and would slip away from her. She discovered that Zack was impossible to catch.

"Seriously, I'd love to go on heists together," Jondy said. "It'll be fun."

"Yeah, and we'll kick ass," Max stated.

"Exactly, we'll be a force to be reckoned with. Seattle's in for a treat! I can see the crime rate go up already," Jondy pictured with a sigh of content.

"It sounds perfect. I love the thrill of a good heist."

"Yeah, dodging the cops is like a game. They chase us, we escape."

"Plus it's a good source of income."

"Exactly. Why not make money while doing something that you like and gives you a rush?"

"Speaking of money, we better go deliver these packages," Max pointed out. "We don't want to get fired, do we?"

"Of course not. Lets get these babies delivered."

Max and Jondy went into the office building. They dropped off the package with the receptionist, and left after they got her signature.

As they exited, Max asked, "What brings you to Seattle?

They reached their bikes and straddled them.

Jondy chuckled, "It's funny you should ask that. My little "hobby" is what led me to Seattle. I kind of got caught on camera down in L.A., so Zack relocated me up here. I constantly moved from city to city. I tend to get carried away sometimes when I pull heists. Nearly got caught a few times. Zack thinks that I'm a danger to myself."

"He's still Mr. Worry, isn't he?"

"Yeah, but he's just looking out for us."

"How is he?"

"Zack's still the same, old protective C.O. He's doing okay, I guess. He travels around and checks up on everyone. Well, everyone that he's been able to find anyway. He's found everyone except Ash, Seth, Zane, and you."

"Do you know where the rest of them are, Jondy?"

Jondy shook her head. "No, all I know is that he found that and what he tells me about them. Anyway, what have you been up to, Max? You seem to have settled down in this city."

"Yeah, I have. I've been here for about a year now. I usually go someplace, stay awhile, and then leave for another place, but for some reason, this city drew me in. It also kind of helps that I have a couple of good friends around here. I guess I've kind of took up roots. Seattle has become my home."

"That must be a good thing to have," Jondy noted wistfully. "I've always wanted to settle down somewhere. I'm tired of running."

"Yeah," Max agreed. "Hey, maybe you could make Seattle your home too. We could live our lives together like we've always dreamed of. I've missed our late-night talks and our companionship."

"Don't forget our mischief-making. We were a world of trouble back in Manticore."

"Who said we aren't still?"

"No one. I just thought that I'd mention it."

"We were little troublemakers back them weren't we?"

"Yeah, we were the savage duo," Jondy replied with a fond grin.

"I wonder what we are going to get ourselves into now," Max pondered.

"I don't know," Jondy shrugged, "but I can't wait to find out!" Suddenly, her face fell, and she shook her head. "As nice as this sounds, Maxie, all of this is not going to happen." Jondy's voice was filled with disappointment and sadness.

"Why?" Max asked confusedly. She didn't see anything wrong with their plans.

"Max, when Zack finds out that you're in Seattle, and that you're here with me, he's going to separate us. He's going to tell us that it's too dangerous and too risky to stay together, and he's going to relocate us. He'll never approve of us staying together. Unless..."

Suddenly, Jondy brightened.

"Unless what, Jondy?"

"Unless we don't tell him," Jondy said. "Zack doesn't know that you're in Seattle. He doesn't know where you are. If we just don't tell him that we ran into each other, we'll be able to stay together. It's not like we're _lying_ to him or anything. I just forgot to inform him of our meeting," she explained.

"I guess that could work," Max thought aloud. "I don't like how we're deceiving Zack though."

"I don't either, but if we tell him, he'll tear us apart. I don't want to be separated again, Maxie. I've been alone for so long already."

"I know, Jondy, I know."

"Are we going to do this?"

"Yes, lets stick together, Sis," Max consented with a nod.

The Jondy and Max finished up their runs and retired to Crash just before the sun set. The day ended with a ray of hope. Hope for the future, and hope for the continuous and inseparable bond of the two sisters.

* * *


	3. Fish

Title: Max's Given Alias 

By: messymissy

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Enjoy!

(For other information, go to part 1.)

* * *

Jondy had been in Seattle for two months. 

During that time period, Max and Jondy made up for lost time, and they grew closer. They spent most of their days working at Jam Pony and going to Crash to hang out with their friends. Jondy adapted well to Max's life. At night, they raced around the city on their motorcycles, planned heists, and had late-night chats on top of the Space Needle. The two sisters were able to spend most, if not all, of their days and nights together. They both finally had someone to ease the loneliness of their sleepless nights.

A month after Jondy came to Seattle, Max moved into Jondy's apartment. Her roommate, Kendra, had decided to move in with her boyfriend, Mr. Multiples, so Max was left on her own. Max's apartment was a dismal little place, so Jondy told Max that she could move in with her, since she had two extra rooms. Max agreed, and so it was done.

Max and Jondy became roommates.

One nearly typical day after their shift at Jam Pony, Max's and Jondy's gang of friends assembled for their daily visit to Crash.

Jondy was not having a good day. She broke away from the gang and headed to her locker as they began to leave. Max saw her slip off to the lockers and headed towards her sister.

"Hey, Jondy," said Max. "What are you doing here all by yourself? You're not coming to Crash with us?"

"Um... I'll meet you there later. You go ahead and go without me. Right now, I need a shower or two. Some jerk was trying to sell me some fish and pushed me into a pile of their guts. I smell like crap," Jondy grumbled as she slammed her locker shut.

"That jackass! If he did that to me, I'd so rearrange his face."

"Oh, don't worry about that. I made sure that he'll never get into someone's face about fish again. I mean, I had to do something. The guy just stood there and laughed when I fell into his pile of shit. I'd understand if it was an accident, but he just stood there like an idiot and laughed." Suddenly she smirked, "Anyway, that guy will never look at fish again without thinking of the time when he had a handful of fish guts down his pants, down his throat, in his ears, and up his nose."

"You didn't."

"Hey, he got a taste of his own medicine. I was about to just push _him_ into the pile of guts, but I thought that he needed to be put in a more uncomfortable situation. I wonder how he liked walking around with fish up his ass for the rest of the day," Jondy pondered, slightly amused. "He's definitely going to have some trouble getting some of that stuff off of him, not to mention the stink."

"Haha! Well, I'm glad that you got your revenge," Max laughed.

"So am I," she agreed.

"You need any help getting the fish off of you?"

"No," Jondy waved her off. "I'll take care of this myself. You go ahead and go without me. Besides, I don't think there's anything for you to do anyway."

"Okay, but are you sure?"

"Positive."

"All right. Well, good luck trying to get the smell off of you. See you later, okay?" Max said as she headed off.

"Yeah."

With a wave, Max caught up with Original Cindy, and they strolled out of the building.

A moment later, Sketchy came over and asked, "Aren't you coming with us?"

"No, Sketch, I'll meet you all there later."

"Whew! You stink!" he exclaimed as he walked within a few feet of Jondy. "What'd you do? Did you jump into a sewer filled with sludge or something?"

"No! Do you think that I _like_ to smell like this? Thanks for stating the obvious!" she cried in exasperation. "Don't you think I know what I smell like?" Jondy asked angrily. She turned away from him and stalked out of Jam Pony.

Sketchy blinked and stared after her.

After a moment, he turned to a messenger on his right and asked, "What's up with her?"

The messenger shrugged but said, "I don't know man, but you never tell a girl that she stinks. You lose major points for that, man."

"Damn!"

Sketchy berated himself for being so blunt and insensitive to the opposite sex. He should have known better than to comment on such a sensitive issue. Ever since he was little, he always spoke his mind without actually thinking his thoughts through first. He usually said whatever pops into his head, which encouraged people to believe that he was more idiotic than he actually was. Sketchy's intellect was just hidden behind his goofy looks and his crude and random comments.

As Sketchy contemplated his tendency to blurt out whatever's on his mind whenever it occurred to him, he grabbed his bike and went on his way to Crash.

When he got to Crash, Sketchy spotted a pair of leggy blonds and wandered over to them. He was hoping to score a date with at least one of them.

So far, it was a normal evening at Crash. Most people were relaxing, getting drinks, getting drunk, talking, playing pool, meeting people, or even dancing.

Tonight, Max was at the pool table. Her usual crowd had dispersed all throughout Crash and were otherwise occupied by this time, and O.C. was hanging out with a new honey that she spotted at a nearby table moments ago, so Max played anyone who wanted to challenge her in pool. She'd let them get in a few shots, but by the end of each game, she came out victorious. Crowds loved to form around her table to watch her play. She knew this, and put on a show for them by complicating her shots.

This was how Max amused herself as she waited for Jondy to arrive. As much as she enjoyed playing pool and hanging out with her friends when they're available, the night just wouldn't be complete without her counterpart.

After she won another game, Max grabbed her drink and took a sip from it. She scanned the crowd for her next prey and kept a lookout for her sister. She was quietly formulating a plan for their nightly, late-night extravaganzas. Little did she know, she did not need to come up with any plans for later that night.

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Max's Given Alias

By: messymissy

(For other information, go to part 1.)

A/N: Haha... Err... Unexpected huh? Sorry! Uhm... RUN AWAY!

* * *

A distant rumble could be heard approaching Seattle. Dusk was falling upon the city as the sound grew louder and louder. Soon, a motorcycle came into view with a dark figure astride it, speeding through the darkening streets of the city. 

It had been two months since Zack had last set foot within Seattle.

He was worried. Things were unusually quiet on Jondy's front, a little too quiet. Zack found it rather odd that he hadn't heard from her lately. He knew that there was a slight increase in crime in Seattle, but that was not an uncommon feat in the Post-Pulse world, especially with an X-5 within the proximity. But other than that, Jondy showed no sign of being in Seattle. Usually, she would have been wrecking havoc upon the city, causing so much mayhem that Manticore would have discovered her whereabouts. He smiled at his thoughts. Jondy was always the "do first, think later" type. That was why the lack of the usual chaos disquieted Zack. Either Jondy finally learned how to lay low and be cautious, or she was up to something. Zack was willing to bet that the latter was true. Knowing Jondy, he suspected that she was up to something. The quietness was most likely the quiet before the turbulent storm. He had to see what his sister was up to. His curiosity was the reason for his return to the city. He had to make sure she stayed out of trouble.

Out of all of his siblings, Jondy worried him the most. She was a magnet for mischief and trouble. She had an uncanny habit of attracting it. Hopefully, she had stayed out of trouble. It would ease his mind if he knew that she did, but knowing Jondy, she was bound to be up to something. Zack grimaced as he thought about that. He'd be furious if she had been in trouble and had not called him. That girl was a wildcat. Max was the same. He could only imagine what they'd be up to if the would meet up once again. All Zack knew was that they'd give him a headache.

Zack sighed and relaxed a bit. As far as he could tell, danger was not prominent within the city. He did not detect anything suspicious going on, which was good.

Soon, Jondy's apartment came into sight. He knew that she wouldn't be home, so he rode passed her apartment and went to look for a place to get a drink.

He spotted a club called Crash near by and pulled towards it. Once he secured his bike, he entered the establishment and looked around. He concluded that it was a decent enough place to be at. It looked better than many of the other clubs that he had been to in the recent past.

As he scanned the room for possible escape routes and any hints of Lydecker, Zack's attention was drawn to the noticeably large crowd by one of the pool tables. Amidst the group of cheering people, he espied a dark-haired beauty in a tight, dark-colored top. Zack admired her from where he sat. She had a slender body, flowing dark hair, and an enchanting face with big bright brown eyes. She sure was a sight to look at. It looked as though he wasn't the only one with that opinion.

The woman moved with grace and confidence around the pool table as she contemplated her next move. Power and attitude emanated from her with each movement. After she decided upon her next shot, she fluidly positioned her cue and popped a solid ball into a corner pocket.

Zack felt drawn to her. Before he knew what he was doing, he found himself walking towards her. He stayed just beyond the crowd, watching her as she finished her current game. Then Zack approached her.

"You up for another?" he asked gruffly.

She looked at him and their eyes locked. As she looked at him, a strange feeling arose within her that she couldn't place. She felt her heart speed up. There was something about his eyes that seemed oddly familiar, like she should know him from somewhere.

She blinked said, "Sure, grab a cue," and then began to reset the pool table. "Twenty bucks per game to the winner?"

He nodded, still staring at her with his ice-blue, penetrating eyes. She shifted uncomfortably at his gaze. She felt as though his eyes could see everything and discover all of her secrets. They were so focused and intense.

Suddenly he smiled and his face became rather charming.

She relaxed and smiled back at him.

"So you break or do I?" he asked.

"I'll break," she replied with a sly grin.

"By the way, I'm Zack. You are..." he started.

"ZACK!" she gasped as realization dawned on her. Now she knew why his eyes looked so familiar. "Your name's Zack?"

"Yes... Why do you look so surprised? Who are you?"

Her face brightened as she exclaimed, "I'm Ma..."

* * *

A/N 2: Choppy, I know. I'm refraining myself from trying to edit this story, once again, from chapter one. I don't like my story/sentence formations. They annoy me, but I don't know how to fix them. Any suggestions:p 

A/N 3: Just for the sake of this story, Zack doesn't recognize Max when he sees her. He found all of the others because he found them soon after the escape, so lets just say that Max grew beyond recognization.


End file.
